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Salt Stress Impacts Photosynthesis in Algae

Graph from the activity

Topic

  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Plant Anatomy & Physiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Climate Change
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Graph Interpretation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Data Points

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
30 Users
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View in Spanish

Description

This activity guides the analysis of a published scientific figure from a study that investigated how salt affects the electron transport chain.

High salt levels in soil and water, which can limit photosynthesis by plants and algae, is a growing concern for areas prone to drought and sea level rise. A key component of photosynthesis is the electron transport chain, which has two light-dependent parts: photosystem I and photosystem II. In this study, scientists measured how salt impacted the photosystems of a freshwater green algae species. The figure shows how different salt (NaCl) concentrations affect the ability of the photosystems, and the electron transport chain as a whole, to produce oxygen gas. The “Educator Materials” document includes a captioned figure, background information, graph interpretation, and discussion questions. The “Student Handout” includes a captioned figure and background information.

Student Learning Targets

  • Analyze and interpret data from a scientific figure. 
  • Describe the impact of environmental factors on the electron transport chain and compare the differences between its components.

Estimated Time

Within one 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

assay, electron transport chain (ETC), estuary, light reaction, oxygen, photosystem, salinity, scatter plot, trend line

Primary Literature

El-sheekh, Mostafa M. “Inhibition of the water splitting system by sodium chloride stress in the green alga Chlorella vulgaris.” Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology 16, 1 (2004): 25–29. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1677-04202004000100004.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 06.04.18
Date Updated 03.04.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-5; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology (2019)

ENE-1.J; SP1, SP4

IB Biology (2016)

2.9, 8.3

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 1.3, 1.4, 1.8, 2.4, 5.10
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-1.C, ERT-1.D, ENG-1.A, ERT-2.F, EIN-2.M, SP5, SP7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.3

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9-12.7
Math.S-ID.6, Math.S-IC.4; MP2, MP5

Vision and Change (2009)

CC4; DP2, DP3

Materials

Educator Materials (PDF) 286 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 226 KB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 354 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 304 KB

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